Forever Exotic: Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopo

The Periscopo is the purest, most beautiful iteration of the Lamborghini Countach. And this 1977 example is expected to bring huge money at RM Paris.

The Periscopo is the purest, most beautiful iteration of the Lamborghini Countach. And this 1977 example is expected to bring huge money at the RM Paris auction.

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RM AuctionsStuart Kortekaas

When does a 38-year-old car not look old? When it's an LP400 Lamborghini Countach. Especially a Periscopo like this '77 model. It's as radical looking today as it was the day it was built.

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This car is one of the lots up for grabs at the RM Auctions Paris event on February 4, 2015. It's estimated to pull in somewhere between $1.3 and $1.6 million.

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The Periscopos are the cleanest, most perfect, most beautiful versions of Marcello Gandini's truly iconic Countach design. Unfettered by flares, wings, and horrid bumpers, the lines are breathtaking in their simplicity.

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The overhead view gives you a good look at the early LP400's unique rearview mirror setup, hence the "Periscopo" moniker. Only 150 were made.

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Countaches would evolve into monstrously powerful cars fitted with steamroller-sized tires in back. but early cars like this rode on comparatively skinny rubber.

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This car is chassis 1120260, and was completed on June 2, 1977. At one point in its history, it was upgraded to LP400S spec, complete with the wheel flares, front spoiler, and rear wing. The current owner returned it to original spec after acquiring it in 2005.

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The car has had an engine rebuild, but is by no means a garage queen. Well maintained throughout its history, it remains in largely original condition and has been driven 35,000 miles in its lifetime—just as its makers intended.

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How important is the Countach? Every 12-cylinder Lamborghini that has come since its retirement is part of an ongoing homage to this car.

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The 3.9-liter, DOHC 60-degree V12 has six Weber twin-choke 45 DCOE carbs and makes 375 hp. The number is small by today's standards, but in historical context, it was properly eye-popping.

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This particular LP400 is a right-hand drive model that spent most of its life in Australia. As dazzling as the exterior styling is on these cars, their interiors are...less visually exciting.

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This Countach is in superb condition, and yet the cockpit still screams "KIT CAR" in terms of fit and finish. It's the polar opposite of today's Lamborghinis, which are in a different universe in terms of interior quality, design, and execution.

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The subtlest details on these cars, right down to the cutouts in the bumpers, just add to the eye-candy buffet.

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Thanks to Marcello Gandini, Bertone delivered one of the most important sports car designs to ever see production.

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Yes, those Campagnolos are just 14 inches in diameter, yet they look entirely appropriate here. They're also a beautiful design in their own right.

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This is how a lot of kids in the 70s and 80s learned exactly what a NACA duct is. The fuel filler resides in the duct on the opposite side of the car.

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